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Fast food establishments often offer frozen drinks that are prepared for the customer at the point of sale. Examples of a frozen drink include the Coffee and Fruit Coolatta(copyright) drinks offered by Dunkin"" Donuts. Drink preparation typically comprises measuring two or more ingredients, such as diary, flavoring syrup, frozen base, etc., in a measuring cup, which may subsequently serve as the serving cup. The ingredients are poured from the measuring cup into a stainless steel mixing cup or malt cup. The ingredients are mixed for a predetermined mixing time using a mixing apparatus having a mixing blade. The mixing blade is sanitized for a predetermined sanitizing time in a sanitizing solution. The mixed ingredients are poured into a disposable serving cup and a lid is placed onto the disposable serving cup. The frozen drink is served along with a straw to the customer. The disposable serving cup may serve as the measuring cup, and the preparation may comprise one or more additional steps, such as the addition of one or more toppings, e.g., whipped cream and cinnamon powder. Frozen drink preparation is time consuming and slows the servicing of fast food customers who desire and expect quick service.
Some prior art mixing blades are illustrated in FIGS. 13-18. These blades are commercially available, but are not used for and are not suitable for mixing frozen drinks.
The present invention provides a mixing blade and a method for preparing a drink, particularly a frozen drink, using the mixing blade, in which the ingredients are measured directly into a disposable serving cup and mixed therein with the mixing blade. The mixing blade is affixed to a rotatable shaft of a mixing apparatus and is sized to pass through an opening in a domed lid placed on the serving cup containing the ingredients to be mixed. The domed lid keeps the ingredients from splattering outside of the cup during mixing.
In one embodiment, the mixing blade has a hollow shape generally comprising a top cone frustum portion oriented base-to-base with a bottom cone frustum portion. Openings, such as generally triangular openings, are disposed on the sides of the top and bottom portions. The top side of the mixing blade has an opening sized for receiving a bolt used to affix the mixing blade to the rotating shaft, and the bottom side of the mixing blade is open.
The mixing blade facilitates an improved method for preparing a drink, particularly a frozen drink, wherein the measured ingredients remain in the disposable cup for the mixing step to thereby reduce the number of steps required to prepare the frozen drink. In contrast to the larger, metal prior art mixing blades, the mixing blade of the present invention is smaller and preferably formed of a plastic material, so that it does not cut the plastic disposable serving cup during mixing.